


Baby, Please Come Home

by onlythebestfandoms



Category: Carmilla (Web Series), Carmilla - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Fluff, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-24 07:41:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17096612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlythebestfandoms/pseuds/onlythebestfandoms
Summary: Carmilla's being stubborn. As usual. And Laura's determined to find out why this teeny, tiny, super small thing bugs her girlfriend so much.





	Baby, Please Come Home

**Author's Note:**

> This is absolutely nothing special, but I felt a holiday one-shot that really had nothing to do with the holidays was appropriate for some reason. I have to thank Beth for not immediately telling me that this idea was ridiculously stupid and even providing some really great suggestions to move it along. So thank you dear friend. You’re awesome. 
> 
> So, Happy Holidays to all, whatever you do or don’t celebrate. And I hope everyone has a fantastic start to their new year.
> 
> Thoughts in italics.

_ So damn stubborn. _

She was trying to be discrete. Honestly, she was. She didn’t want to laugh right in her girlfriend’s face, but she couldn’t help the small giggle that erupted from the right corner of her mouth as another full body shiver ran up Carmilla’s spine, her frame jerking in the most dramatic way.

“What? What’s so funny?” Carmilla asked with a slight slur, lower lip hidden behind her gray woolen scarf, Laura’s snicker obviously catching her attention. She sniffled once, shoving her hands deeper into her coat pockets as her limbs trembled ever so slightly once again, curious eyes on Laura as she waited for an answer.

“Nothing,” Laura said, smiling softly before turning her attention back to the scene in front of them, pulling her own blue, and much more sensible, parka around her tighter.

She watched the numerous skaters smoothly gliding across the ice, the glassy surface reflecting the thousands of twinkly gold lights adorning the arches overhead. Across the rink, the iconic Toronto sign lit in bright neon pastels, and beyond that, the beautiful white spruce that had been chosen for the season towered over the background of the square, lit in red and gold, the whole scene so absolutely mesmerizing that if it weren’t for Carmilla’s constant shivering beside her, she wouldn’t have been able to look away.

It had been Laura’s idea to come here, wanting to get out for a bit and see all the decorations adorning Nathan Phillips Square for their first Christmas in the post-Silas era. And though Carmilla had agreed and bundled up in practically every layer she could find, between the incredible cold and the throngs of rowdy people surrounding them, their voices a constant buzz in the background, Laura was guessing that Carmilla was probably regretting her decision.

Looking out of the corner of her eye once again, she smiled at her girlfriend’s rosy cheeks, a sight that she hadn’t gotten to enjoy during their first winter together. After all, vampires were a bit more resilient to that sort of thing. But now that Carmilla was once again human, the older girl was having a little trouble adjusting to the bite dancing across her skin from the now frosty temperatures.

“Do you want me to go get you another hot apple cider?” she asked, reaching out and rubbing a hand up and down Carmilla’s back, attempting to create some sort of friction, though she doubted it was doing much against the two sweaters and a thermal buried beneath her leather jacket.

“No, I’m fine,” she answered, shaking her head.

“Do you want to head back?” Laura tried again, stepping even closer, adjusting Carmilla’s black toque so that it better covered the now crimson tips of her ears. “I mean, I wanted to see the lights and… well, we saw them.”

“We’ve been here for like fifteen minutes, cupcake.”

“Yeah, but you’re freezing.”

“Am not,” she pouted, that petulant look that Laura absolutely adored appearing on her face as though the idea was ludicrous.

“Carm…” she giggled, moving to stand behind the dark-haired girl, wrapping her arms around her waist, and pulling their bodies together. “Here. Maybe this will help.”

She squeezed her once, resting her chin on Carmilla’s shoulder, and leaving a quick kiss against her icy pink cheek, finding the new position to be quite satisfying for her as well.

“Better?”

“Um… sure,” Carmilla finally answered, her body stiff, limbs taut.

“Hey, what?” Laura asked, eyes wide, angling her head in an attempt to see the older girl’s face, and curiously finding that uneasy expression that Carmilla so rarely wore. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m fine. Just… come here,” Carmilla said, turning slightly and pulling Laura in front of her instead, pressing her front to Laura’s back.

“What, is the front side chillier than the back?” Laura teased.

“No. It’s… this just feels better,” she mumbled, nuzzling into Laura’s temple just below her own green toque.

“You want to explain that one to me? Because I’m thinking holding you is just as good,” Laura argued.

“This is just better,” she repeated.

_ Ugh, this again! _

“Seriously, Carm,” Laura said, turning in her arms so they were face to face, eyes searching the dark ones in front of her. “Why do you get so uncomfortable when I try to hold you?”

“I don’t!” she argued before lowering her voice to a whisper. “You were the big spoon last night.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Laura giggled. She grabbed at the front of Carmilla’s leather jacket, pulling her closer, still smiling at the sight of her beautiful blushing girlfriend. “No matter how much I love being the big spoon, when we aren’t horizontal, you’re not exactly cooperative when I try to hold you.”

“That’s… that’s not true,” Carmilla said with a shrug, looking over Laura’s shoulder.

“It is! What, am I not a good hugger?”

A slight shake of Carmilla’s head.

“You enjoy showing off your gorgeous backside?”

A roll of her eyes.

“You want me to die first if someone pops out around a corner to mug us?”

“Seriously, Laura?”

“Well, give me a serious answer and I’ll stop throwing out ridiculous suggestions!” she giggled, rubbing her fingertips along Carmilla’s chin, her thick green mittens making it a little more challenging. “I really love holding you and you never let me.”

“That’s not true,” Carmilla argued once again, and Laura had had enough.

“Oh really?”

* * *

“Oh my god, what smells so good?” Laura asked with a delighted sigh as she walked into the modest apartment, dropping her worn, red JanSport near the door.

Around the corner, she heard a distinct irritated grumble echoing in the kitchen, and slowly moved forward, curious.

“It smells like chocolate. Are you making brownies?” she asked as rounded the corner. And her cautious curiosity instantly turned to hysterical laughter when she caught sight of Carmilla with chocolate batter on her hands, splatters up her arms, and even a few subtle streaks across her right cheek. “What in the world happened?”

“That stupid mixer! I didn’t know it was already turned on when I plugged it in,” Carmilla muttered, attempting to clean herself up with a white dish towel, because of course Carmilla wouldn’t think about the fact that the chocolate would probably leave a permanent stain.

“Weren’t you the last one to use it?” Laura asked, smiling brighter when Carmilla just gave her a hard look.

_ Right. It’s not your fault you didn’t turn it off last time. The mixer is totally to blame for this. _

Smiling softer and holding the older girl’s annoyed gaze, Laura walked around the counter, trailing a finger along its smooth surface, and up Carmilla’s arm as she reached her.

“You are adorable when you pout,” she said, poking at Carmilla’s chin before leaning in and leaving a soft kiss against her slightly flushed cheek.

_ God, I love that I get to see her blush. Finally. _

“Ugh, whatever,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “They should make an On/Off button. And… make it big and bright red or something.”

Laura giggled again as she looked down at the obvious power switch to the device but kept her mouth shut. Any further arguments would only be met with further snarkiness. So instead, she stepped behind Carmilla, letting her arms wrap around the dark-haired girl’s waist, and pulled their bodies flush, sighing softly at the feeling.

“Domestic, you are not,” she teased, leaving a quick kiss against the back of Carmilla’s shoulder, breathing in the amazing spicy scent of deep woods that was uniquely Carmilla. “But that’s okay. You have many other fine attributes.”

But Carmilla only huffed, stepping forward just enough to put an inch between them, which was…  _ odd. _ But it wasn’t the first time it’d happened.

“You okay?” she asked, giving Carmilla’s hips a gentle squeeze. She watched as Carmilla simply nodded, leaving her not entirely convinced, but unwilling to press. Carmilla was obviously upset enough. There was no point in pushing her further. “So, um… what are these for anyway?”

“I wanted chocolate. Thought you might too,” Carmilla shrugged, wiping off the last of the batter and tossing the dish towel aside onto the countertop.

“That’s definitely a great reason. I will never say no to chocolate,” she said, pressing her forehead between Carmilla’s shoulder blades, relishing in the warmth there that she still wasn’t quite used to.

_ And as good as she felt before… _

“Hmm… well, then how about you finish these?” Carmilla said, smoothly swapping their positions and pulling Laura’s back snug against her front with a quick kiss to her temple. “I’m clearly a lost cause.”

“No fair! You started this!” Laura argued, taking in even more of the mess that had already been made.

“True. But don’t you think it will be much more fun if we do it… together?” she teased in that sultry tone she was so good at, dipping her index finger into the batter and temptingly bringing it Laura’s mouth.

_ Vampire or not, Mistress Seductress is definitely still intact. _

“Fine,” she relented, squeezing at Carmilla’s forearm snugly wrapped around her as the delicious flavor of chocolate rolled across her tongue. “I’ll help. But you have to let go of me first.”

“But I like you here,” Carmilla murmured into Laura’s ear as her hands found their way beneath the hem of her shirt. “It feels right when I have you like this.”

“Well, then you have a decision to make,” Laura started, leaning further back. “Me or the brownies?”

“Like that’s even fair,” Carmilla chuckled, leaning in to leave a series of long, slow kisses up the side of Laura’s neck.

* * *

Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she felt her lips pull up even further as she glanced around the noisy movie theater, the excited chatter from the other patrons around her mixing together and only adding to the anticipation. But then she looked to her left, rolling her eyes at her girlfriend, standing there and looking like it was physically exhausting her just to be in the line.

Sending a soft elbow into her side, Laura smiled when Carmilla’s incredibly bored stare turned towards her.

“This better be worth it, creampuff. We’ve been waiting forever in this line,” she grumbled, shoving her hands into the back pockets of her leather pants.

“It’s supposed to be great,” LaF said from in front of them, eyes wide and voice bordering on over the top excited. “I read that it’s one of the best movies of the year.”

“Be that as it may, I still don’t understand why we had to come opening night,” Perry argued, sidestepping a small sticky child with a grimace as the line moved further along.

“Because that’s half the fun. Experiencing it with lots of people!” Laura said, immediately meeting LaF’s palm in a high five that caused Perry to scowl harder and Carmilla to roll her eyes.

“You two should’ve just come here together,” Carmilla said.

“Well, if it was just LaF and I, then my plan would be completely ruined,” Laura argued with a smile as she moved behind Carmilla, hands grabbing at her hips as she pulled their bodies together.

“What plan would that be?” Carmilla asked attempting to meet Laura’s eyes over her shoulder and failing miserably.

“If it was just us, and you weren’t here, then I wouldn’t get to snuggle up next to you for an hour and a half,” Laura said, smiling softly as she pressed a kiss into the back of Carmilla’s head.

“We could’ve done that a home,” Carmilla shot back, lifting a fidgety hand and rubbing at the back of her neck.

“But here, they have popcorn with real butter,” Laura added. “And a delicious assortment of candy!”

“Like you need more sugar,” Carmilla countered with a slight stretch. “And our microwave works just fine, so minus the real butter, popcorn’s not an issue.”

“Come on, Carm!” she giggled. “Work with me here. This is supposed to be fun and you being super grouchy is totally bringing down the vibe.”

“Fine. I’ll shut up,” she sighed, taking one of Laura’s hands and pulling. Reluctantly, Laura let go of the older girl and allowed herself to be led two steps forward, where Carmilla promptly pulled her in, her back snug against her girlfriend’s front. “But this better be the best damn movie I’ve seen in decades.”

Laura smiled as she felt Carmilla nuzzle into her neck, a quiet purr echoing in her throat, because that was one habit she had yet to break. And one that Laura really didn’t mind.

“If it’s not, I’ll make it up to you. I promise,” she said, ignoring an uncomfortable cough from LaF.

“I’m going to hold you to that,” Carmilla whispered into her ear, squeezing her tighter as they took another few steps forward in the line.

* * *

Carmilla’s laugh echoed loudly against the walls of the mostly darkened room, and though she wanted to be mad, she couldn’t help the nervous giggle that erupted from her own mouth.

“Seriously, cupcake? You fought my mother and her evil minions for an entire year, and that little pop up ghost thing is going to scare you?” she said with a smirk, stepping forward and poking at the floating prop.

“No! It’s more fear of the unknown. And shut up!” Laura argued. “It’s a haunted house. It’s supposed to be scary.” She smiled as Carmilla stepped back towards her, leaning in to leave a soft, slow kiss against her mouth. “Besides, if I pull the whole damsel in distress bit, you’ll protect me all night.”

“For starters, you are anything but a damsel in distress. Of this, I am sure. And secondly, I don’t think you need me to protect you, cutie,” she teased. “I mean, other than protecting you from yourself, I think you’ve got it covered.”

“Oh, hush you!” Laura said, poking her in the side. “Just for that, since I don’t need the protection, I’m not going to hug you for the rest of the time we’re in here. You’re on your own, Karnstein.”

“Fine. Then we should probably hurry. No time to get home like the present,” she smirked, following Laura towards the next part of the house.

Laura just shook her head, hiding her smile, even as she reached back for Carmilla’s hand, their fingers naturally lacing together.

This wasn’t exactly the night she had originally planned. In fact, they were just supposed to go out, grab a bite to eat, and then head right back home for couch snuggles and some not too terrifying Netflix. But when she saw the poster advertising ‘Toronto’s Most Terrifying Haunted House’, she’d smiled brightly and turned to Carmilla, ready to suggest something different. Of course, Carmilla had been less than thrilled with the idea, but had come along, just the same.

“You know, I never understood the point of these,” Carmilla continued on a moment later, looking bored as ever. “There are far scarier things in the real world.”

“Come on! It’s supposed to be thrilling and creepy. It’s supposed to be fun!” Laura giggled, pulling her along through the darkened hallway in front of them, the screams from the couple ahead ringing along the walls. “I know you used to be a big bad vampire but- ah!!!!”

Carmilla laughed again at the high-pitched shriek Laura released as one of the house’s actors jumped out at her once they rounded the next corner.

“It’s not funny! And hey, if you really not scared, then you go first.” Laura said, pushing her in front but keeping close, fisting the back of Carmilla’s leather jacket and lining her steps up directly behind her girlfriend’s.

“You really think this is going to help?” Carmilla asked, her voice once again bored but Laura thought she heard a dejected tone just on the edges.

“Yes. In fact, I already feel better being back here, hiding behind- oh Jesus!” she squealed once again as something grabbed at her ankle.

Carmilla chuckled once again, turning so that she was walking backwards down the next hallway, dark eyes dancing as her hands reached for Laura’s trembling fingers.

“Stop laughing!”

“Well, cupcake, you know they always try to rile up the people in the middle or the back,” Carmilla argued, pulling Laura closer and spinning them at the last second so that Laura was once again in the lead. “I’m really doing you a favor here.”

“I find that hard to believe,” she said as she pulled Carmilla’s arms tighter around her middle and tiptoed further along.

* * *

Laura sighed happily, feeling Carmilla come up behind her, pressing against her, solid and warm, a delicious contrast to the slight chill being put off by the freezers in front of her, their glass doors slightly fogged over from one too many customers opening and closing them.

“Cupcake, we’ve been in this aisle for ages,” she said, pulling Laura closer. “And the store manager has walked past the end-cap four times now. I’m pretty sure he thinks we’re getting ready to defile the gluten free frozen pizzas, so can you please just pick a flavor and call it a day?”

“But I can’t decide,” Laura whined, though her smile never dropped.

“It’s ice cream,” she chuckled, resting her chin on Laura’s shoulder. “It’s not that serious.”

“Blasphemy!”

“Fine, then get more than one carton and you can have multiple flavors,” she tried to reason once more, her cheek nuzzling into the skin just below Laura’s ear, a distinctly cat-like sound vibrating in her throat as she did.

_ Ah, Catmilla is here, _ Laura thought, biting her lip to keep from giggling or letting any teasing comments unintentionally slip. The last time she’d brought up Carmilla’s continuous feline behaviors along with the less than popular nickname, Carmilla had threatened to throw her trusty Tardis mug out the window into the street and light her beloved Gryffindor sweater on fire. Laura had immediately backed off on the ribbing.

“But if I do that, I’ll be tempted to eat them both tonight. And, as delightful as that sounds, I’m pretty sure my stomach will be upset with me.”

“What if I hide one of the containers on you?”

“Carm, where are you going to hide it?” she asked with a huff. “We only have the one freezer.”

“Maybe I’ll put it outside somewhere,” she said, shrugging against Laura’s back as she held tight. “It’s cold enough.”

“But you won’t,” Laura sulked. “As soon as we get back, you’ll promise to hide it later and then get stuck in a book for the rest of the night and not even notice that I have already made my way through both pints until I’m curled in a ball, crying and hating my insatiable sweet tooth.”

“Do you have no self-control at all?”

“Um, hi, I’m Laura Hollis,” she said, turning in Carmilla’s arms and holding out her hand for the older girl to shake. “My favorite things are my girlfriend, geeky television shows, and all things sweet. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Ugh, fine, just get the one flavor then,” Carmilla growled, pulling away and leaning forward over the handle of the grocery cart. “But I would like to go home today. I’m not getting any younger you know.”

“You’re definitely not,” Laura teased, grabbing a random pint of double chocolate and tossing it into the cart before moving behind the dark-haired girl, and pushing the buggy forward with Carmilla snug against her. “But I have to say, you look damn good for being over three hundred.”

“Well… duh,” Carmilla said as she attempted to put some space between herself and the cart.

“And you aren’t full of yourself at all,” Laura giggled.

“Not in the slightest, cutie,” she said, ducking underneath Laura’s arm and spinning around on the toe of her boot as they turned the corner so that she was pressed into the tiny brunette’s back. She leaned in leaving a quick kiss on Laura’s cheek as they continued to awkwardly walk down the next aisle, arms firmly wrapped around the smaller girl, clearly with no intention of letting go.

* * *

“See?” Laura started, her ‘I told you so’ expression firmly planted on her face. “You never just let me pull you in. You always have to find a way to get out of it.”

“Not… always,” Carmilla mumbled, looking away.

“Fine, not  **always,** but a lot of the time,” Laura pushed, tipping her head to the side. “Do you just not like it? Does… does it make you uncomfortable or something?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s…” she trailed off with a sigh, her eyes focused on something just over Laura’s shoulder. “I  **do** like when you hold me.”

“Well, then why do you pull away and switch our positions?” she tried again, cupping Carmilla’s chin and pulling the dark-haired girl’s gaze back to her own. “I really want to know, because, honestly, this isn’t something new. You’ve always been like this but… I just want to know.”

“It’s… it’s stupid.”

“I’m sure it’s not.” She let her mittened thumb brush along Carmilla’s gorgeously pink cheek, back and forth softly as she waited, her eyes never leaving the dark ones in front of her.

“I just… it’s been over three hundred years. And, even though I’ve never loved… never cared for anyone else as much as I love and care for you…  in all that time… I never had anyone who was shorter than me,” she shrugged.

_ Um…? _

“Oh-kay,” Laura said, her eyebrows furrowing together as she waited for more but Carmilla just shrugged again. “Seriously, Carm, you have to give me more than that. I’m an inch, maybe two shorter than you! You were like the shortest vampire in history. It’s adorable!” 

But the small, indignant huff Carmilla released kept her from venturing down the teeny, tiny vampire road.

“Alright fine! What does you being two whole inches taller have to with anything?”

“Because… I never got to do the holding,” she finally said, voice quiet, her cheeks heating up even more with the admission. “And… you fit.”

_ Aww… _

And now, it was clear. Incredibly silly, but clear just the same. And something only Carmilla would actually think about. But it wasn’t like Laura could blame her. Three hundred years of never being in this position, regardless of who it was with, girlfriends, lovers, victims, this mattered to Carmilla. And the fact that Laura got to be the one she loved to hold only made her smile harder.

“You are the most adorable human ever, Carmilla Karnstein.” she said, leaning in to kiss her softly, watching the older girl’s eyes flutter open as they parted, the love she saw there almost overwhelming.

“So you don’t think it’s kind of dumb?” she asked, pressing their foreheads together as she pulled Laura closer.

“I don’t think it’s dumb at all.” She pressed one more soft kiss against Carmilla’s mouth before carefully turning around and pulling Carmilla’s arms tighter around her, sagging back into the dark-haired girl with ease. “Now, I’ll let this slide for a little longer. Since you’ve got a lot of catching up to do. I mean, over three centuries, you’ve earned it. But this is not a forever deal,” she said, attempting to press herself further back against her girlfriend. “Because I really do love holding you against me.”

“I can stipulate those terms, cupcake,” Carmilla mumbled as she kissed Laura’s temple just below her green toque once more, humming happily as her lips lingered and her arms tightened. 

And Laura could hear the genuine smile in that soft voice. Followed by a quiet, satisfied purr.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks.
> 
> Tumblr: dogsbeerandawesomeness  
> Twitter: dogsbeernawsmns


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